


The Adventures of MoonMoon

by Fyreflare



Series: The Many Adventures of MoonMoon [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Post-Game, Spoilers, Very silly title, updates weekly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-09-18 02:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9362621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyreflare/pseuds/Fyreflare
Summary: It's been six years since you completed your island challenge. Now you're left wondering what to do with your life. Faced with the real world, real work, and real challenges, you start to wonder if the trainer life really is for you. Fortunately, you've got a million voices around you trying to influence your life decisions. Pokemon battles are easy. Life is hard.





	1. Prologue and Exposition

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction for this fandom, and I'm trying to make it as geographically accurate as possible. If you find a mistake in my descriptions of the islands, or Pokemon, please do not hesitate to tell me in the comments or in a private message.

It had been a while since you completed all the trials, but you weren’t quite ready yet to take on the Elite Four. You remembered your days in Kanto, watching the televised battles. So many challengers came up to battle, but it was seldom that any of them made it passed the Champion. Each was blown back by the great power of the top trainer in the region. As a little girl, you were entranced by the ability of your favorite Champion, Red. The bond he had with his Charizard filled your head with dreams of becoming a Champion yourself, of having other kids dream about Pokemon. But as the years went on, that dream faded. A mission you started you were eleven soon became a daunting task. Full of spirit and ambition, you had run up the mountain, excited to finally be like Red. But after getting your ass handed to you by Hala, the light started to flicker. You were so confident in your endeavors, so ready to take on the world. Hell, you had gone to Ultra Space and had a Legenday Beast in your party! But soon after, you realized just how powerful an experienced trainer could be. And you started to realize that people weren’t really battling you with all their strength. As a kid, you never thought twice about why people only had the one Pokemon to send out against you. Now that you were seventeen, people started sending out their real partners, much stronger than the Pikipeks and Ratatas they reserved for children on their island challenge. And suddenly, your bouncy Primarina wasn’t going to cut it. Your cheerful Pikachu didn’t have the spark to take down anything beyond a Trainer School Student. So, you went home. You went back to school. You did what everyone else did when they completed their island challenge back in the day. You got a part-time job at the Battle Café, and you ground out levels on the weekends, just like everyone else. And hey, even if your spirit died six years ago, you still loved your Pokemon. So, you kept your favorites, and gave the rest to Kikui for other kids to use. They were good Pokemon, gathered from the four corners of Alola. You should know. You completed your Pokedex with them. And as for Nebby? It wasn’t fair to have him locked away in a Pokeball for the rest of his life, so you gave him to Hau. Sweet kid promised to give him back the second you wanted to be a trainer again. But that was five years ago, and Hau’s champion, and you’re grinding out levels on the weekends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a little depressing to start with, but it will get more upbeat as the story continues and Moon discovers her true passions. Isn't that what life is all about? Going in hyped, getting knocked down, and learning to stand up again. That's what I believe, anyway. But what do I know? I'm only nineteen.


	2. Captain Ilima's Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He may be the Prince of the Trainer School, but his battle strategies are anything but chivalrous. Gumshoos against Primarina, Ilima against Moon. Even after the Pokemon battle is decided, the battle of wits is anyone's call.

The green Ace Trainer uniform felt scratchier than normal, you thought as you exited the Trainer School. Though you had technically graduated, you still went back every Tuesday night after work to do some personal research. So far, you’ve developed at least fifteen new battle strategies, memorized the effects of every ability, and finally figured out the benefit to having bug types (it still wasn’t a huge benefit). You tugged at the collar of your shirt, and unbuttoned the top so you could breathe again. 

“Undressing on my account?” You heard from behind the familiar, teasing voice of Captain Ilima. “The sun only went down half an hour ago.”

You rolled your eyes, but fought an inward laugh. “Not for free. The Café doesn’t pay all my bills.” You shot back, turning around to face the pink-haired young man. “So, unless you’ve got cash, the show’s over.” Ever since you had returned to Melemele, Ilima had been a regular companion. You assisted each other in research, and battled with each other every other week. And over the course of the years, you had started to grow fonder of the eccentric trial captain. And from what everyone else in town said, the sentiment was mutual. 

Ilima laughed, as he was never afraid to. “I might, Moon. It all depends.” He took a Pokeball off his belt, tossing and catching it in his hand. “If I win a battle, will you give me a discount?” He asked, a competitive gleam in his eyes that you had grown to love. 

You couldn’t help the smile that crept up on your face. “Tempting.” You replied smoothly, reaching for your partner’s ball. “What are the rules?” You ran your fingers over the scratched, red surface, anxious to battle.

He watched your movements carefully, and you could all but feel his eyes on your body. “One on one. No items beyond what they’re already holding. First to faint or surrender, loses.” He answered, reciting the usual terms of your battles with him. He looked around, and spotted student as she was exiting the school building. “Hey, Mia!” He called over to the girl. “I’ll pay you five hundred to ref this match!”

Not needing to be told twice, the pre-teen ran over. She knew the drill just as well as anyone else in Hau’oli City. “As long as I’m not late for dinner.” She stipulated, holding out her hand for the money. 

Ilima handed over five bills, then threw his Pokeball into the air. “You ready to lose, MoonMoon?” He teased as his Gumshoos struck its usual pose. 

You tossed your ball in response, your trusted Primarina singing out beautifully, already breathing in sync with you. “In your dreams!” You called back. “And stop calling me MoonMoon!” But you knew he wouldn’t, and he knew you thought it was charming. Not that you would ever say such things. 

“Hyper Fang!” He ordered, and Gumshoos sprang into action. It ran across the street, baring its huge teeth and lunging for your half-fairy-type. 

You barely had a moment to react, as his Pokemon was much faster than your own. “Aqua Jet away from it!” You cried, the order having barely passed from your lips when Primarina was a blur of water, soaking Gumshoos in the process. “Hit it with a Moonblast!” Your partner raised her flipper to cast the moonbeams, but was knocked over by Ilima’s well-timed Thrash. As Gumshoos ran back and forth, wildly knocking into everything in his path, Primarina leaped into the air on her tail, and blasted the weasel with a perfectly-aimed Moonblast. After having done a good deal of damage to his adversary, Gumshoos teetered on his paws, disoriented by the Thrash.

“This is it!” You called out to your weak Primarina. “One last shot! Oceanic Operetta!” You struck the Z-pose just as your partner began her song, a giant bubble of water forming above her head. You barely heard Ilima ordering his confused Pokemon to jump out of the way. As you raised your hands, Primarina hit a piercing note, and the bubble exploded over Gumshoos. As the normal-type fell to the ground, the water-type took a bow. 

“Gumshoos is unable to battle! Primarina is the winner!” Mia shouted, with much less enthusiasm than the referees on tv. “And I’m going home.” Without waiting for the trainers to say anything, she skipped off into the city.

“Gumshoos, return.” Ilima spoke softly, recalling the beaten Pokemon back to his ball. “Well done, MoonMoon. So I guess this means I have to pay full price?”

You returned your Pokemon as well, after giving her wet hair a quick combing with your fingers. “I guess so.” You replied. “That’s fifteen hundred for winning the match, and twenty thousand for the show.” You held out your hand expectantly. 

“Twenty thousand?!” He gasped. “Highway robbery! I might as well take you on a date and earn it, if that’s the price.” Ilima tucked the ball back onto his belt, then took your hand in his own. “So, how about it?”

You blinked in surprise, looking from his face, to his hand, and back again. “Are you… are you asking me out?” You asked, incredulous. 

He shrugged, the battle gleam still glowing in his eyes. “I might be. It all depends if you’re up for a different kind of battle.” He winked at you, mischievously. “And this time, I won’t go easy on you.”


	3. A Modest Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ilima finally speaks what's on everyone's minds, and Moon is left to make her decision: will she accept the cards life has dealt her, or will she risk everything for the blind hope that there's more to life than domestic felicity?

“See, when you said ‘date’,” You began, jabbing a fork into the dinner Ilima had bought. “I thought it was going to be something a little more exciting than take-out malasada on the marina.” For a man who lives in his parents’ mansion, you thought he would be a little classier with his romance attempts. Even so, your Pokemon seemed to be enjoying themselves. He had bought enough for all six of yours, and the four of his.

 

He scratched behind the ears of the Gumshoos that had decided to stretch out on his lap. “Take-out malasada and Roserade tea.” He corrected. “Besides, you’re going to tell me that your Pokemon aren’t happy?” He twisted himself around as best he could without disturbing his Gumshoos. “Just look at Toucannon. She’s practically beside herself with joy.”

 

You reached over and tapped the bird Pokemon’s beak, which caused her to squawk playfully. “She’s also Jolly natured, so that’s hardly an accomplishment.” Toucannon waddled a few steps over to you, and placed her beak squarely on the top of your head. “Yes, we are talking about you, dear.” Another squawk, and you were sent into a fit of giggles. “Silly girl.” Out of the corner of your eyes, you thought you witnessed Ilima smiling, watching your interaction with your Pokemon quite serenely.

 

“Moon, I’ve been thinking…” He set his hand over yours, waiting for you to meet his eyes. “We’ve been on the edge of this for years now and…” He took a breath, which seemed to get itself caught in his throat the moment you met his gaze. “And….” He froze, half-smiling and dazed.

 

“Yes?” You asked, impatient to hear what he had to say, your heart hammering in your chest. You had been expecting something like this to happen, of course. You’d heard the rumors flying around, hushed when you came into view. All Hau’oli was set for your wedding, by the words you’d managed to catch from your friends, co-workers, and even your mother gossiping to her friends back in Kanto about ‘getting the dress after June, when the prices drop’. But until now, you’d been able to shove it all to the back of your mind, ignore it, pretend none of it existed and you were just a trial go-er and trial captain in a friendly competition. You could pretend all the hours spent training together were just training, that the middle of the night and on to sunrise conversations about nothing and everything were just the sort of things that friends did. You could pretend that the kisses you stole from each other in lieu of prize money from winning battles were just jokes, that none of it meant anything, really. You could pretend that you weren’t in love, and that he wasn’t in love, and that none of your three-year unofficial courtship was real.

 

“You’re so beautiful.” He breathed, as if it was the only thought he could articulate in that moment. “Will you marry me?” The question hung in the air, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath. The world fell silent, waiting for your answer. His grey eyes burned a hole straight through your soul, begging you to say yes, to say that you would stay with him forever, be the wife of a trial captain, stay on Melemele Island, stay in Hau’oli City.

 

And suddenly, all those things you wanted so badly to ignore came crashing down on top of you like a Rock Slide on a Pikipek, crushing the breath out of your lungs. And for a moment, you understood exactly what “yes” meant, and what “no” would imply, and for a moment the spark of life that you thought died six years ago, sprang back into existence, screaming out that _No,_ you wouldn’t go silently, _No,_ you wouldn’t submit to a life of mediocrity, _No_ , _you wouldn’t marry him._

 

But all at once, equally loud, you heard the voice of reason, screaming Yes, _Yes, **Yes**_! It screamed at you to take the offer of comfort and happiness, of love and simplicity and growing old together. For all the reasons you could think of to say _No_ , this voice countered with all the reasonable, logical reasons to say _Yes_. How familiar were his lips on yours? How familiar was the gleam in his eyes? How familiar and safe and comfortable was everything about this handsome, loving, amazing man that you had fallen in love with six years ago?

 

“Give me a night to think about it. You’ll have an answer in the morning.” You said flatly, your heart and soul confused with what your mouth decided to speak, a compromise that no one had suggested. The wind blew across your face again, Toucannon lifted her head and returned to munching on malasada, and Ilima bowed his head, thinking that he understood your trepidation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don’t know what the title is a reference to, you’re probably too young to be reading this. In this chapter, you’ll find that A) I need something to move the story along and B) in a world where eleven-year-olds are shoved off into the wilderness with a glorified squirrel to protect them, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that a seventeen-year-old can get married.


	4. Mother's Wisdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your mother has some insight on your current predicament, and adds yet another voice to consider when making your final decision.

You pushed open the door to your mother’s house as quietly as possible, hoping that you wouldn’t wake her and have to answer any questions about what you were up to that night. But unknown to you, Meowth had taken to sleeping next to the door, where the warmest air came in. When it bumped against his furry little body, he meowed in surprised. You tried to hush him, but the little beast was never to be silenced. He purred and mewed, desperate for attention, twining himself between your legs. As you shut the door behind you and Meowth realized he wasn’t going to get anything from you, he bounded off to your mother’s room and mewled pitifully.

 

“Meowth, hush!” You hissed, setting your bag down by the door. “Don’t wake her up!”

 

But the tiny cat was adamant, as most cat Pokemon were, and soon a set of tired footsteps hearkened the arrival of your mother on the scene. She opened the door, yawned, and tightened the belt of her robe. “Meowth, sweetheart, what has gotten into you?” She picked up the little fellow, who snuggled himself happily in her arms. Once her baby was happy, she finally noticed her daughter. “Oh, Moon! You’re back! And so late.” She tried you glean the time from the clock, but had difficulty reading it without her glasses in these later years. “Ah, well, anyway. What have you been up to?”

 

When your mother was properly lounged on the loveseat (which you had finally convinced her to buy after returning from your island challenge), you began your doctored story. “Well, I went to the Trainer School for some research, like usual.”

 

Your mother nodded, stroking Meowth’s ears. “Yes, but the school closed hours ago. What have you been doing since then?” She looked you over as best she could in the poor lighting. “Wait, let me guess. You were with Ilima.” Your face must have said all she needed to know, since she began smiling. “What did you and Ilima do today?”

 

You fought back the urge to lie and say that you weren’t with him, but you were a terrible liar. “He… he asked me to marry him.”

 

Meowth’s ears perked up and he lifted his head just as your mother clapped her hands in delight. “I knew it! I knew he was going to ask you this month!” She set Meowth off her lap. “I have to make a list of everything that needs to be done. I’ll call Hala in the morning, and we can go to HeaHea City to get you a dress. And we’ll have to make arrangements for you to get an apartment in town. Captain Mallow will of course help with the flowers. It’s not every day that a trial captain gets married, after all! It will be in all the papers. It might even get broadcast to the whole of Alola! I can just imagine it now!”

 

All the while your mother was planning and fantasizing, you were softly trying to interject. “Mom!” You finally shouted loud enough to break through her scheming. “I didn’t say ‘yes’.”

 

In an instant, her happiness melted into confusion, then to anger. “Why not? Don’t you realize that this is the best offer you’re going to get?” She shook her head. “Honestly, MoonMoon. You work at a Café. You’re not a good trainer. You expect to get by on tips and minimum wage? Not in this city!” She got up from the sofa and began pacing the room. “Ilima can give you financial security, a good home, a good reputation! You both share a passion for Pokemon battles! And don’t you love him?”

 

You couldn’t look at her, red shame rising in your cheeks. “Mother, please. I just… I told him I’d think about it.” This is the exact reason you wanted to sneak in and not bother anyone with the news. If you decided to marry him, you could tell her happy news. And if you decided not to, then you and Ilima could talk it out, and maybe in a year or so you might be ready to marry him. But this forced decision was the last thing you wanted.

 

“The second that sun rises over the water, I want you over at his house, and I want you to tell him that you’re going to marry him.” Your mother ordered, quite decisively. Under most circumstances, your mother was sweet, caring, understanding, and patient. But years of worrying about your future had made her nervous, and all that nervous energy manifested itself in moments like these. Years back, when you had gotten in a fight with Ilima, she gave you much the same treatment. On her orders, you had apologized to him, and the whole matter had been settled. As far as she knew, you were hopeless on your own, lacking direction and purpose, seeking guidance. At least, ever since failing to defeat the Elite Four. “Are you listening?” She demanded, breaking your train of thought. “You are going to marry Ilima, and you’re going to live happily ever after with a nice house and children and a spotless reputation, if I have anything to say about it!” With that final declaration, she stormed off to her room, no doubt to prepare that long list of errands before the perceived wedding.

 

Meowth, the kiss up that he was, sauntered off with her, his tail flicking indignantly as he disappeared into her bedroom.

 

You hit the floor before you even registered your knees giving out. Hot, salty tears streamed down your face. You couldn’t marry him. But you couldn’t _not_ marry him. Yes, you wanted the life that your mother had said. Yes, you had thought about what your children might look like. Yes, _all those things_. But no, **_no_** , not like this. Something had set aflame in your heart again, a burning that was altogether foreign and agonizingly familiar. You clutched at your chest, trying to dig out that flame, to tear it out and toss it aside so you could make everyone happy again. But it wouldn’t fade, not this time. It was clinging onto life harder than you were trying to kill it.

 

So, you took a breath. And let it out. And let the flame win.

 

The fire surged through your veins, and you remembered its name: Ambition. You rose to your feet, dried your tears, picked up your bag, and went to your room to pack your things. It was time you really finished your island challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like fire imagery.


	5. On to Ula'Ula!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having decided to take on the Elite Four, Moon gets sidetracked when she runs into an old friend, and an old passion for battling.

Now, a wise woman would have spent the night in introspection and contemplation. But MoonMoon would be the first to admit: she was not a wise woman. 

You stood on the deck of the midnight ferry to Malie City, overlooking the vastness of the ocean around you, the sea salt kissing your skin, chilling you to the core. A slippery, damp nose nuzzled its way under your arm, which had been resting on the cold railing. Primarina chirped curiously, quite confused at being woken up in the middle of the night, and now found herself on a large metal object, going at some speed to an unknown destination. You stroked her head, faking a confident smile. “We’re going to Malie, on Ula’Ula Island.” You assured her gently. Primarina turned her head to the side, like she always did when she thought something was odd. You gave no further indication of abnormality, and returned Primarina to her Pokeball.

As the sun rose over the water, you thought back to what your mother had said. You could turn back now. It would only take an hour or so to ferry back over to Melemele. And give up without trying? You shook your head. No. You had to do this. As you looked out over the grasslands of Route 11, you fiddled with a Pokeball nervously. What if you still weren’t strong enough? What if you got up there, and the same thing happens? You didn’t know if you could take that kind of defeat again. 

“Moon?” A feminine voice called from behind you.

In surprise, you dropped the Pokeball, and a very tired and annoyed looking Persian popped out. She hissed briefly at being awoken from her beauty sleep, then curled up on the warm street to keep napping. Paying the cat no mind, you turned to face the source of your surprise: a young woman, dressed in a white uniform, her blonde hair hastily pulled up in a ponytail.

She smiled and ran toward you, her arms outstretched to hug you. Without waiting for permission, she wraps her arms around you. “I thought that was you! It’s been forever!” She laughed, and finally released you from her grasp. “What have you been up to all these years?”

You blushed heavily, suddenly remembering why you practically dropped off the face of the earth after failing to defeat Hala. You didn’t want to tell your friends what a failure you had become. “It’s good to see you too, Lillie. I’ve been… on Melemele.” You quickly changed the subject. “Why are you wearing that uniform?”

Lillie looked down at her outfit, as if noticing for the first time what she had on. “Oh, this? I’m a conservationist now!” She giggled. “My mother decided that since I was going to be a trainer in Kanto, she ought to make me head of the conservation efforts there. I just came back to Alola to check on my brother and his work here. Have you seen him?”

“Gladion?” You shook your head. “No, I’m afraid my ship just came in a little while ago. What kind of work does he do?”

Lillie knelt to scratch behind Persians ears. “He’s a conservationist like me, or at least that’s his official job, but he spends most of his energy working with the ghost and psychic type populations.” She laughed as the Persian sleepily nuzzled her hand. “I was just about to go visit him at the Abandoned Mart, down on Route 14.” She thought for a moment. “Well, I was going to go by myself, but since you’re here, would you mind coming with me to see Gladion?”

You took a breath. It wasn’t like you weren’t going down that way anyway. And she was an old friend, after all. “I’d love to, Lillie.” Your Persian lifted her head and gave you a sly look. 

Lillie stood back up, and took your hand in hers. “It will be just like when we were kids!” She started off on her way, not waiting for you to catch up. “And don’t worry about keeping your Pokemon healthy on the way. I’ve got plenty of Hyper Potions and Full Heals.” Persian sauntered after her, leaving you still standing on the street. “And lots of Pokebeans for your precious team!” 

You walked along the bamboo-forest trail, you spotted blank-and-white blurs on either side, flashing in and out of focus. “Pancham.” You whispered under your breath. You remembered those little bears, mostly how troublesome they were. They would run out and attack young trainers to look dominant. But while they had decent attack, their special defense was pathetic. You ignored them, knowing that they wouldn’t be foolish enough to strike with your Persian out. However, that tended to have the opposite effect on trainers.

A young boy waved to you from behind some bamboo stalks. “Hey! That’s a really cool Persian! Do you wanna battle?” The boy looked no more than twelve, and his island challenge amulet gleamed in the morning sun. You couldn’t deny an excited kid the chance to battle. 

“Sure!” You called back, then looked to Lillie. “You don’t mind, right? It’ll only be a second.”

Lillie paused her walking, and looked down at Persian. “It looks like your Pokemon wants to fight, so I see no reason why not.” She nodded. “I’ll ref for you.”  
With her permission, you ran over to the boy, excited once again to battle. “Standard League rules, okay?”

The kid tossed out his Pokeball. “Yeah yeah, blah blah, let’s do this! Stoutland!” The boy’s Stoutland howled in anticipation, waiting for its orders.

“Persian, Fake Out!” You shouted, pointing at the Stoutland. Persian obeyed, lunging forward and striking the dog so quickly that it flinched back in surprise. “Fall back and use Nasty Plot!”

As your Persian raised her Special Attack stat, the boy ordered his Pokemon to use Fire Fang. The Stoutland howled, fire bubbling up in its mouth. It bit down hard on Persian’s shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. “You’ve got this, Persian! Nasty Plot again!” You ignored the incredulous look Lillie gave you, and the smug grin on the boy’s face. You knew your Pokemon. You knew what she could handle, and so did Persian. She endured two more Fire Fangs, shaking off the charred fur on her shoulders and back. “Power Gem, now!” Persian stood on her back legs as a beam of glittering light shot out from the gem on her forehead. It struck the Stoutland square in the chest. Already damaged by the Fake Out, and now hit with a triple-charged Power Gem, the Stoutland howled pitifully before falling on the dirt, knocked out. 

“Stoutland is unable to battle!” Lillie cried. “Persian is the winner!” She gave the boy a revive and a super potion. “That was a pretty fantastic battle. You’re really talented!”

The boy, despite losing, was in high spirits. He happily took the medicine and used it on his Pokemon. “Thanks, miss! I’m still trying to figure out what works best for my Pokemon. He always starts strong, but he can’t seem to take a hit.” He scratched behind his Stoutland’s ears. “You trained your Persian really well in defense.”

You sprayed a hyper potion on your Persian, and rubbed a crushed Rawst berry on her wounds. “It’s a combination of things. She has the ability Fur Coat, so that halves the damage of all physical attacks. Only thing I had to do was strengthen her stats all around, and that just takes normal training.” You looked over the boy’s Pokemon. “For Stoutland, I’d say you have a couple options. You could give him Iron and Zinc, or you could teach him some stat changing moves to raise his defense or lower the opponent’s attack.”

The boy returned his Stoutland to its ball. “But what’s the point of that? That leaves fewer moves for doing damage!” He retorted. 

You shrugged. “I used to think so too. But you know, there’s more to battle than just doing straight damage. You need to research what your Pokemon are capable of. If you see a weakness, you don’t need to keep ignoring it and hoping that no one will exploit it. You need to address the issue, and come back better for it.” You put the empty medicine bottles back into your bag. “If you keep trying, you might be Champion someday.”

The boy looked down at his Pokeballs, then back up at you as you and Lillie continued along the path. “Wait! Don’t I owe you prize money?” He called.

You turned back. “You train that Stoutland up, and meet me in battle on Mount Lanakila, and I’ll consider that reward enough.” 

When you got to the end of the route, Lillie shook her head, smiling. “I knew the rumors weren’t true.” You didn’t have to ask her what she meant. “They said you’d given up being a trainer. Not you. I wouldn’t believe it for a second. The way you encouraged that boy on his island challenge… I knew you had to be one of the greatest trainers in Alola by now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am aware of how crazy long this chapter is compared to the others. I would also like to apologize for it being a day late. College life.


	6. The Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moments away from meeting up with Gladion, you receive a call from Ilima that settles nothing and leaves everyone disappointed.

The sun was mid-way in the sky, and the pair of trainers on the edge of Route 14, that your phone began ringing out quite clearly. The buzzing and notes of the device drew the attention of the wild Pokemon, who mostly stuck their curious noses out of the water. In particular, a school of Finneon bobbed up at the surface of the water, which in turn drew the attention of the various trainers standing about. Even so, your phone held the most and least amount of visible concern for you. 

“Moon?” Lillie prodded your side, attempting to gain your attention away from the Pokemon. “Aren’t you going to answer it?”

The device rang out again, louder and more persistent, or so it seemed to you. All the same, you knew very well who was calling by the tone of the alarm, and hadn’t any inclination to answer it. You said nothing.

Lillie, having gained confidence since you had known her many years earlier, seized the phone from your bag and answered the call before you could object. But she did not speak into the microphone, only pressed the device against the side of your face. Whether Lillie had any idea who was on the other side or not, she had conjectured that it was someone you did not want to speak to, and therefore she ought to force your communication. 

“Hey, Ilima.” You began, your mouth suddenly dry. If a Gyarados had soaked you with its strongest Hypro Pump, you might be less wearied. 

“Moon! I’m so glad you answered! I went by your house, and your mother said that she had sent you to mine. I was worried that something may have happened to you. Are you alright?” Ilima spoke so quickly, and you so loathed to speak, that his opening remarks seemed to exist in a space of time unlike any that normally existed in this dimension. 

“I’m fine.” The words sounded dull, even to you, as if it wasn’t you at all who spoke. But after thinking it over a moment, you elaborated. “About what you asked me last night. I spent a lot of time thinking it over and… the answer is maybe.”

There was a long pause, and for a moment you wondered whether a stray Charizard had slammed into a cell tower. 

“That’s not an answer, Moon.” His voice lacked the typical honey and lilt, the joyfulness that you had come to associate with the young man with whom you had spent the better part of six years. “Tell me truly, what is your real answer?” 

His disposition, which you had come to expect as cheerful, frightened you. Somewhere in your mind, you knew that his change in character was altogether of your own creation, but it nevertheless offended you. “I cannot and will not accept your offer.” You replied, quite decidedly. 

Another pause, and this time you were certain that he hung up on you. But again, he spoke. “May I ask, dear friend, why?” You could hear his controlled breaths even through the shaky connection, and it pained your heart to realize that you were the cause for anyone’s unhappiness. 

Why indeed. “Because I need to know who I am before I begin trying to establish who we might become.” You answered, surprised by your own eloquence. “Because after years of uncertainty in our standing, you forced me to answer a question for which I had never entertained the possibility of being asked. So forgive me, dear friend, for my hesitation.” If your mother was here, you thought, you wouldn’t hear the end of her scolding for saying such things to your supposed fiancé. All the same, she wasn’t here, and you were going to speak your mind, and your flame leaped joyfully in your heart because of it. 

“I see.” He wasted no time in that reply, and you could all but see the man compose himself. Had you been a wiser girl, you would have noted that he was eight years your senior, and not as apt to emotional outbursts as yourself, and far more equipped in manner and disposition to handle such an answer from such a girl as yourself. But as previously noted, you were not a wise girl. “I wish you luck and happiness. And if you find what you’re looking for out there, you may return here and wait for my reply if I may still have you.” And by the definite click and tone, you knew then that he had certainly terminated the call. 

You slid the phone back into the pocket of your bag, and tried not to meet the gaze of your friend. This friend, however, was having none of it. And so you spent the next few minutes explaining the situation that led up to the conversation she had just witnessed, and she did not speak the entire time. 

At the end of your story, she shook her head. “You are both at fault.” She decided. “You should not have run off without answering, and he should not have assumed you would be able to come up with an answer, given the circumstances.” She sighed. “Even so, you have new options. Your non-engagement could be repaired, or it could remain broken for the remainder, and you can open yourself to other opportunities.” She took your hand in hers. “But I’ll let you think about that. In the meantime, it’s lunchtime, and my brother will be going on break in a few minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is this chapter two weeks late? Midterms.


	7. A Batty Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moon and Lillie meet up with some old friends outside the Thrifty Megamart, and they get a quick lesson in Pokemon ecology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I do think I’m hilarious for naming the chapter this way thank you for asking.

Pushing the phone call to the back of your mind, you and Lillie climbed up the steps to the old Mart. A young woman stood just outside, a fussy Zubat in her arms. “Really now!” She huffed, pinning the Pokemon’s wings down so that it stopped hitting her in the face. “You need to calm down!”

The Zubat, naturally, was not overly pleased with this arrangement, and tried its best to bite down on her hand. As you got closer, you could more easily observe the rips and tears in the membrane of the Zubat’s wings.

“Acerola!” You called, happy to push the previous set of emotions from your mind. “Do you need any help?”

The captain looked up at you, surprised to see anyone brave enough to venture near the abandoned store. “Moon!” She called back. “And Lillie! It’s been ages!” She lost her balance as the Zubat stuck out its wing toward her face. “Oh you! Be patient!”

As you watched the Zubat struggle in her grasp, you fought to remember something about the poison-type. You heard a speech a couple months ago on the care of various cave-dwelling Pokemon. A professor’s assistant from Kanto had come by to lecture on the varying environments where Zubat were found. “Maybe I can help.” You took hold of Acerola’s shoulder’s and pushed her a step back so that the Zubat was in the shade. Immediately, the Pokemon calm down. “There. These guys don’t like the sunlight.”

Acerola, with her grip no longer vice-like upon the wounded creature, patted the Zubat’s head. “Thanks. I’ll remember that. Ghost-types are my thing, so I don’t know how to deal with Zubats.”

Lillie stepped forward and examined one of the wings. “What happened? These look pretty serious.” When she touched the wing, the Zubat hissed and drew it back quickly, in obvious pain.

“Raticate happened.” Resonated a male voice from the entrance of the Mart. From the shadows emerged a tall, blonde man. His Aether jumpsuit top was tied around his waist, displaying a plain black shirt messily tucked. He still had a sullen, too-serious expression, but less anger than when you had first met him.

“Gladion!” Lillie exclaimed, running forward and hugging her brother, catching him rather by surprise. “I’ve missed you so much!”

He was taken aback at first, but hugged her back. “I’ve missed you too, Lillie.” After a moment of bearing the awkwardness, he cleared his throat and pushed her off. “As I was saying, this Zubat, and several others, have been victims of Raticate attacks.”

You shook your head, confused. “Raticate don’t live here. This is too close to the sea, and they hate being wet.”

Gladion nodded, and you could swear you saw a smile for a fraction of a moment. He took a roll of gauze from his pocket and wrapped the damaged wing of the Zubat. “We’re trying to figure out what is causing these Pokemon to leave their habitats and invade this location. Because if the Raticate invade and upset the ecosystem, it could cause other Pokemon-“

“Ghost Pokemon.” Acerola interjected.

“To leave the Mart. Which would be-“

“Bad.” Acerola finished.

You weren’t sure, but Gladion seemed to rip off the gauze with a little more force than you thought was necessary. “Thank you, Captain. They understand.”  He then turned to you. “Moon, I don’t think I’ve seen you for a while. But you seem to know a lot of Pokemon. You’ve been studying?”

You thought that was a question. Maybe an observation. He was hard to read sometimes. Or all the time. “I’ve been attending lectures at the Trainer School back on Melemele. I know a bit.”

As you spoke, a Rattata scampered out the door, his tail and whiskers twitching. It darted into the bushes, disappearing behind the leaves. Your Persian, which had been leisurely poking her nose into the grass up until this point, hissed at the tiny rat, and set a paw forward to give chase. “Persian! No!” You bopped the fluffy Pokemon on the head, drawing a whiny mewl from the over-sized kitten.

Gladion looked away, and you were certain that you saw him laugh. “Rattata are noncturnal. It’s unusual to see them out at this time of day. Something must have spooked it from its nap.” He shrugged. “I’m not too concerned for that one, though. They run too quick to get hurt by any ghost-types. I’m more concerned if I see any of those ghost-types wander out.” He looked up at the sky. “And judging by the sun, we’ve got six hours until any of them emerge. It’s one thing to hate sunlight. It’s another to be damaged by it. In the meantime, let’s take this guy to the Pokemon Center and get some lunch.”


End file.
